You Are My Treasure
by Tap Dancin On A Land Mine
Summary: When Lovi is terribly injured outside Antonio's house while trying to entertain Toni's party guests until he returns, Toni is not amused. But neither is his boss when Spain skips his meeting, to which his boss arrived late, to save his darling tomato. And through it all, Antonio teaches Lovino just how precious he is.
1. Chapter 1

**When Lovi is hit by a car outside Spain's house while trying to entertain Toni's party guests until he returns, Spain is not amused. But neither is his boss when Spain skips his meeting, to which his boss arrived late, to save his darling tomato.**

Hello! Welcome to my first attempt at Spamano. I hope you guys like it!

This was originally a oneshot, but it got too long so I split it up (: And for some reason, when I uploaded this it ate the spaces out of all the italics parts. I think I managed to put all of them back in, but if I missed any, I'm sorry.

There's also some mention of GerIta, PruCan, and FrUk.

I do not own Hetalia. If I did, Romano would get more screen time. As would Prussia. And Sealand! ("Sealand" is not in the dictionary in Microsoft Word, and I find that depressing).

Anyway. On with the story.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Romano looks up at the clock and scowls. Spain is hosting a party tonight and it is almost time for his friends to start arriving, yet the Spaniard is nowhere to be found. Well, not _nowhere_, Romano reminds himself, forcing a deep breath and resisting the urge to snap his cell phone in half in frustration, placing it instead in his pocket. The bastard has probably gotten caught up at work again; he has a meeting with his boss, and the man likes to be late, much to Spain's chagrin and Romano's vast irritation. A knock at the door pulls him from his thoughts, and he swears loudly, cursing his luck as he goes to answer it. Italy beams at him when he pulls the door open, rushing forward and taking Romano in a tight hug.

"Lovi!" Feliciano cries brightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"It's only been four days, Feli," Lovino says, pulling away and dragging his brother into the house. Germany follows wordlessly, nodding to Lovino as he passes.

"Romano," he says flatly.

Lovino nods back as he closes the door. "Potato-bastard," he replies before heading into the kitchen. "Feli, can you help me finish setting up?"

"Sure, Lovi!" Feliciano says, following his brother. "Where's Big Brother Spain?" he asks, knowing his brother gets nervous whenever Antonio is away for long periods of time.

"Still at work," Lovino grumbles, opening the fridge and pulling out the veggie tray he'd picked up the day before. "And call him Toni, we've been over this. Grab the chips out of the pantry, will you?"

Feliciano nods as Lovino goes into the dining room, placing the tray on the table. As if on cue, his phone buzzes in his pocket, announcing the arrival of a text message.

_**Antonio: **My boss is late. Again. He just called to tell me he's on his way, and we're supposed to be finished by now. So I'll be a while getting home. I'm so sorry, Lovi. I've already texted the others and told them to behave, but you know how Francis and Gilbert can get. I love you, mi tomate, and I'm so sorry._

Lovino sighs before texting back _Just hurry home once the meeting's over, bastard._ Lovino scowls yet again, placing his phone on the end table in the living room and flopping down on the couch as Feliciano comes back into the room, silently unsure he could handle Antonio's guests without Antonio.

"What else, Lovi?" he asks before he notices the sadness and apprehension in his brother's eyes, well hidden behind his façade of anger. "What's wrong?" he asks, sitting next to his brother.

Lovino looks away, hating the way his brother can see through him. "Toni's running late," he says bitterly. "His bastard of a boss kept him waiting again."

Feliciano wraps his arms around his brother again, and Lovino pulls away abruptly, heading back into the kitchen. Though he will never admit it, Feliciano's presence does quell some of Lovino's anxieties about Antonio's absence. He grabs the cases of soda off the counter and takes them to the table before poking his head in the living room just long enough to say, "There's beers in the fridge in the garage, if one of you will bring those in."

Not bothering to wait for one of them to get up, and knowing it will probably be Ludwig, he wanders back into the kitchen and over to the fridge again. Before he manages to open it, however, the doorbell rings. He walks to the door with a sigh, pulling it open to reveal Prussia, his arm wrapped reassuringly around a nervous-looking Canada. Lovino steps aside to allow them entrance, and Gilbert ruffles the Italian's hair as he passes, brushing against his absurd little curl and causing Lovino to flinch. He bites back his harsh comment (with immense difficulty) and follows the two into the living room.

Gilbert casts a glance around the room and sighs. "I didn't expect Francis to be here yet, since he likes to be 'fashionably late'," he says. "Not to mention he and Arthur probably 'lost track of time'. But Toni? Late to his _own party_? Not awesome."

"He's at work," Lovino nearly barks, flicking his curl back into place. "He'll be here later. Depends on how long his meeting runs."

"So that means you're stuck with us until he gets here," Prussia says with a twisted smile that makes the hair on the back of Lovino's neck stand up.

"Gil, be nice," Matthew chastises, grabbing the man's arm.

"Relax, Birdie," Gilbert says, pulling away. "I won't be too mean to him. At least not until Francis stops macking with Artie and gets his ass over here." Gilbert's smile widens and he steps toward Lovino. "Then the two of us can seize your vital regions."

"Back off, fucker!" Lovino shouts, backing away a few steps, his breath quickening.

"Gil," Matthew says again, slightly more firmly this time, pulling Gilbert toward the couch. "Stop it."

Prussia pouts, but sits down next to Matthew on the couch, one arm around the blonde's shoulders. Once his heart resumes a normal pace, Lovino smirks.

"Looks like somebody's whipped," he says. "By _Canada_, no less. Seems to me someone's awesomeness is wearing off."

Gilbert opens his mouth to speak, but stops when Matthew giggles. Gilbert turns toward his love with a scowl, and Canada only smiles before placing a light kiss on Prussia's cheek.

"Yep," Romano says before turning away. "Whipped."

He heads back to the kitchen and opens the pantry. He'll never say it out loud, but he is growing quite fond of Matthew, for other reasons than the fact that he can keep Gilbert's licentious antics at bay. He is quiet, but has a good sense of humour once you get to know him, which Lovino is glad to say he had done on his last outing with Spain and his friends a few days ago. With Canada's bright personality, it is hard to see how people ignore him so frequently. Lovino pushes these thoughts away and sighs, closing the pantry when he sees that they are lacking some of the ingredients for the paella he had planned on making for dinner. Paella is relatively easy to make and can easily feed the large number of people Antonio had invited (and it's Antonio's favorite food, which would ensure that the Spaniard knows Lovino is not angry with him about the meeting without Lovino having to say so). He trudges back into the living room.

"I assume you guys will be okay here for a little while without me," he says, and the others look up. "I need to go up to the store really quick and pick up a few things."

"Do you want some company?" Feliciano offers, standing up.

Romano shakes his head. "Stay here, Feli," he says. "The store's right around the corner, I'll be back in twenty minutes tops. Feli, there are a few more things in the fridge that need to come out, can you grab them?"

Without awaiting a reply, he turns and leaves. Feliciano sighs, heading into the kitchen.

"What's wrong, Italy?" Ludwig asks, following him, catching the concern in his lover's face.

"He's upset," Feliciano says sadly as he pulls another tray from the refrigerator. "He won't say anything about it, but it really upsets him when Antonio has to stay at work late. He gets nervous without Toni around."

Before Feliciano reaches the dining room table, a blood-curdling scream reins the air for a moment. Feliciano freezes where he stands, his eyes darting to the front door. Ludwig quickly takes the tray of food from Feliciano's suddenly trembling hands, eyeing the Italian nervously.

"Italy?" Ludwig says cautiously, setting the tray down and stepping toward his lover. When the smaller man does not respond, Ludwig speaks again. "Feliciano?"

"That was Lovi," Feliciano whispers, stepping toward the door.

"Don't worry about it, Feli," Gilbert says, sitting back on the couch. "He's probably just freaking out because France finally got here."

"No," Feliciano says simply, running forward. Feliciano knows his brother better than anyone does, save perhaps Antonio, and he knows that scream, the scream of genuine terror that Lovino has only given twice before, both instances many years ago. He wrenches the door open and sprints outside, leaving Ludwig, Matthew, and Gilbert, very confused, in Antonio's house.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

How am I doing so far? Bad place to stop, I know, but it was the only place that made any kind of sense. There should be 3 or 4 more chapters (: Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Yay, chapter 2! There's a lot of Italian dialogue in this one and the next one (which all came from Google Translate so I apologize if it's wrong) and the translations are at the end of each chapter. Please enjoy (:

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"Lovi."

He doesn't know if his brother's name came as a whisper or a shout, nor does he knew which he intended. All Feliciano knows is that Lovino is lying in the street before him, broken and bruised and bleeding, as a car speeds away, swerving as it goes.

"Germany!" Italy shouts as his hands start to shake and his breath quickens to hyperventilation. This is too real, too much. Feliciano kneels next to his brother, his arms shaking as he pulls him to his chest. The wound in Lovino's arm bleeds profusely, staining Feliciano's shirt a deep crimson, but he cares not. Feliciano clutches his brother's unconscious form closer, his mind frozen in shock, his whole body shaking. Nothing is real, nothing can be real, this is all too fast, too surreal, too much…

"Germany!" he tries to shout, but his voice is shrill and breathy in his panicked state. He takes a deep breath, clears his throat, and tries again. "Germany, please!" he shouts, much more strongly this time, and seconds later Ludwig comes barreling out of the house to see Lovino unconscious in his brother's arms. Ludwig turns his eyes to Feliciano, whose face has gone several shades paler as he holds his brother close, his entire frame shaking along with Lovino's.

"What took you so long?" Feliciano asks desperately when Ludwig kneels next to him.

"I'm sorry," Ludwig says sincerely. "It doesn't matter now. What happened?"

"He's been hit by a car," Italy says desperately. "I don't know what to do, Germany, please, help me, I don't know what—"

"Italy," Germany interrupts him. "It's going to be alright. Breathe, it's okay. We can handle this, he'll be fine. Breathe."

Italy nods, exhaling with a sob and drawing a deep breath.

"Look, Italy," Germany says softly. "He's waking up."

_**XxXxX**_

".._tello_, wake up, please_. Per favore_, Lovi."

Lovino is confused as he lays mangled and broken, cradled in Feliciano's shaking arms. Confused because he cannot move, cannot open his eyes, and frightened because there is a thick darkness closing in around him, stealing his breath and threatening to take him under again. He fights, clinging to his brother's frantic voice. Finally his eyes flicker open.

"Lovi!" Feliciano cries. "_Caro Dio_, Lovi, are you alright?"

"F-Feli," Lovino stammers weakly.

"_Si_," Feliciano says softly. "I'm here, fratello."

"Feli," Lovi says again, his eyelids fluttering. "_Feli, sono stanco_."

"Lovi, stay with me," Feliciano begs. "Lovi, please, _per favore_, stay awake." Lovino's eyes flicker open feebly.

"_É doloroso_," Lovino pants, then swallows hard. "_Feli, non riesco a muovermi, tutto é doloroso. Ho paura._"

"I know, Lovi," Feliciano says, stroking Lovino's hair gently with his quaking fingers. "I know, and I'm sorry. _Non cercare di parlare, fratello, sará bene_."

"Toni," Lovino gasps. "_Spagna_. _Bisogno_ _Spagna_."

"I'll get him, Lovi, I promise," Feliciano assures him. "Shhh, breathe, you're going to be alright. I'm going to yell now, alright? Don't be frightened." Feliciano waits for Lovino's shaky nod of acknowledgement before calling, "Prussia! Canada! Come here, please!"

Within seconds, the two are charging outside, obviously horrified by the sight before them, the sight of Lovino gasping and bleeding against his brother's chest and refusing to let the tears fall. Feliciano meets Gilbert's eyes.

"Call Spain, he's the only one who can calm him down."

"He's in a meeting with his boss," Gilbert says, and suddenly there is an uncharacteristic, frighteningly angry flash in Feliciano's gold eyes, and Gilbert flinches.

"I don't care where he is," the Italian says fiercely, and Lovino flinches in his arms, his hand clutching the fabric of Feliciano's shirt. "Call him and tell him Lovi's hurt, and he will come home. He'd want to know this, and we need him."

Gilbert nods, startled, and pulls out his phone.

"Calm down, Feli," Matthew says softly. "He can tell that you're scared and it isn't helping him."

Feliciano nods and takes a deep breath.

"Italy," Ludwig says softly. "We should take him inside. It's cold out here, that won't help the shock. We can't take him to the hospital, since being a nation complicates things; if he were a normal human that crash would have caused far more damage, and we don't need to raise any confusion by taking him to the hospital. But I'm fairly sure Gilbert can take care of him; he's seen more than his fair share of this kind of thing."

"And Mattie's pretty good with first-aid, too," Gilbert adds, still waiting for Spain to answer.

Feliciano merely nods, turning back to his brother.

"Lovi, Germany is going to pick you up now, alright?" he says gently. "This will probably hurt, but you'll be okay. We won't let anything happen to you, Lovi. You're perfectly safe."

Lovino shakes his head, clinging tightly to his brother. Feliciano strokes his brother's hair away from his face, swallowing hard to quell the tears at the corners of his eyes.

"Lovi," Feliciano says softly. "You're going to be fine. Please, let us help you. Germany is not going to hurt you."

Lovino nods mutely and Feliciano shifts his hold, allowing Ludwig to take his brother's trembling form in his arms. Hellacious pain tears through every nerve in his body with the movement and Lovino bites his lip, but the scream of anguish wrestles its way forth nonetheless, a single traitor tear escaping his eyes. A round of shallow gasps sends a spasm of agony through his ribcage, bright reds and purples streaking his vision. The unfamiliar arms around him make him feel trapped, helpless, almost claustrophobic, and he longs for Antonio's soft touch and laughing green eyes and lilting voice. He closes his eyes tight, fighting madly to pull away from Germany's hold.

"Lovi, stop," Feliciano implores. "Stay still, you'll make yourself worse if you keep squirming."

"Toni," Lovino whimpers, still trying to pull away and managing to knee Germany in the face. "_Voglio Toni_."

"Just put him in the grass, West," Gilbert says, still holding the phone to his ear. "He'll hurt himself trying to get away from you like that."

Germany nods, placing Lovino gingerly in the grass. Feliciano sits next to him, his eyes on Gilbert, who is slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"I got his voicemail, Italy."

Feliciano sighs, frustrated, a single tear escaping his eyes.

"Use Lovino's phone," Matthew says suddenly. "It's on the end table in the living room. He'll answer for Lovi."

Prussia nods and rushes back into the house.

"Thank you, Canada," Italy says sincerely, flashing Matthew a smile before turning back to Lovino. Seconds later, Gilbert comes back, Lovino's phone pressed to his ear.

"He's been hit by a car," Gilbert says. "He's badly hurt, and he's terrified, and you need to come home... I don't know, he-"

Gilbert breaks off when Lovino screams again as Feliciano pulls him into a more upright position. Matthew rushes forward, kneeling in front of Lovino and attempting to identify the source of his anguish, but the Italian shouts, "_Non mi toccate! Per favore, non mi toccate_!"

"Lovi, we're only trying to help you," Feliciano says desperately, running his fingers through his brother's hair in a futile attempt to comfort him.

"_No, no, non mi toccate. Feli, non lasciarli, per favore_."

Feliciano draws a deep breath, frustrated and frightened. "Alright, Lovi," he says softly before looking up to the others. "We'll have to wait until Toni gets here," he says, defeated.

"Toni, please hurry," Prussia says. "He's terrified. He won't let anyone other than Feli touch him...Alright. See you soon, Toni."

Gilbert hangs up, slipping Lovino's phone into his pocket along with his own.

Feliciano gives a choked sob and Ludwig places an arm around him.

"Thank you, Gilbert," Feliciano says, not looking away from Lovino's horribly pale face. He sighs, realizing that Lovino is holding his breath. "Breathe, Lovi," he urges gently. No response. "I know it hurts, but you need to breathe."

Lovino exhales in a gust and takes in a shuddering breath, gripping Feliciano's hand tightly, as though losing contact will cause him to fall off the planet. Feliciano looks down at the quivering mass in his arms; Lovino is gasping desperately, still whimpering occasionally, but still refusing to let the tears fall. Tear of his own springing to his eyes, Feliciano strokes his brother's hand gently with his thumb, turning his eyes to the corner of the street and watching for the bright red pain of Antonio's car.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

_Caro Dio:_ dear God

_sono stanco_: I'm tired.

_É doloroso_. _Feli, non riesco a muovermi, tutto é doloroso. Ho paura:_ It hurts. Feli, I can't move, everything hurts. I'm afraid.

_Non cercare di parlare, fratello, sará bene_: Don't try to talk, brother; it's going to be okay.

_Spagna_. _Bisogno_ _Spagna_: Spain. I need Spain.

_Voglio Toni_: I want Toni.

_Non mi toccate! Per favore, non mi toccate_: Don't touch me! Please don't touch me.

_No, no, non mi toccate. Feli, non lasciarli, per favore_: No, no, don't touch me. Feli, don't let them, please


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, a new chapter! And what's even better, I have nothing to say between here and the story! Enjoy.

_**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**_

Spain sighs as he sits in his boss's office and casts a glance at his cell phone to check the time. His boss should have been here nearly an hour ago, and Antonio longs to be home with his Lovi, to have his grumpy little Italian in his arms and a plate of paella and a mug of hot chocolate. He slips his phone back into his pocket and leans forward in his chair, digging the heels of his hands into his eyes before running his hands through his brown curls, wondering how Lovi is fairing without him. Hopefully Francis and Gilbert have heeded his request to behave until he arrives, and hopefully Arthur and Matthew will do their best to keep Antonio's mildly misguided friends from traumatizing his not-quite-defenseless little Lovi.

This was supposed to be a brief meeting, damn it.

Antonio leans back in his chair and lets out a long, slow breath of forcibly-quelled irritation. He's been waiting here longer that the meeting should have taken in the first place and all Antonio wants is to go home and enjoy the company of his loved ones. Francis and Gilbert are most likely at his house right now, or at least Gilbert probably is since Francis likes to be "fashionably late" (and have sex with Arthur), and the only thing keeping Antonio from them is the fact that his boss is, once again, late, and he has a sudden urge to scream, punch a hole in the wall, throw things, because he just wants to go home.

"Damn the man," he mutters, pulling out his phone again and opening his Tetris app. "God damn the man."

He loses the first game quickly and decides that Tetris isn't a particularly wise thing to play when angry and impatient. He closes the app and smiles fondly at the picture of Lovi in the background of his phone, his face lit up in a rarely-seen smile that is genuine and radiant and breathtaking. It's been so long since Antonio has seen his little tomato smile like this, and this picture always tugs at his heart in the most bittersweet way and makes him want to take Lovi in his arms and smother him with affection and drag him into the kitchen to make pasta and tiramisu together. As adorable as Lovi's cantankerousness can be (at least in Antonio's eyes), his smile is beautiful, one of the things that keeps Antonio smiling. Perhaps he will stop by the store and pick up some Italian chocolate on the way home as a peace offering for his little Lovi so he won't be too angry that Antonio is coming home late yet again, today of all days.

Antonio sighs sadly, scrubbing at the back of his head with both hands before wrapping both arms around his stomach. Just as he is contemplating running to the break room for a cup of coffee, his phone rings. _**Gilbert**_flashes on the caller ID, and Antonio sighs again as he clicks ignore, not quite up to talking to his dear friend right now. He rises from his chair and heads down the hall. The steam rising off of the coffee pleases him, as does the fresh stock of creamers and sugar packets next to the coffee. At least one thing has gone right today, he thinks wryly as he tosses out the sugar packets he's just emptied into his cup. He has just barely stirred the creamer into his coffee when his phone rings again, but this time the name on the screen brings a bright smile to Antonio's face.

_**Lovi**_

"Lovi!" he says cheerfully. "_Qué pasa, mi tomate_?"

"Antonio, we need you to come home." The voice on the other end is certainly not that of his curmudgeonly Italian.

"Gilbert," Antonio says, mildly shocked. "What's going on?"

"Lovino's hurt. Bad."

Spain can feel the blood draining from his face as panic chokes his lungs and squeezes at his heart. His hand clenches around the cup in his hand, spilling scalding liquid over his hand, the shock just enough for him to find his voice again.

"_Mierda_," he gasps, dropping the cup and shaking coffee off of his hand. "What happened?" he asks Gilbert in a choked whisper.

"He's been hit by a car," Gilbert says. "He's badly hurt, and he's terrified, and you need to come home."

"How bad is it?"

"I don't know, he-"

Gilbert breaks off when Lovino screams, and Antonio's heart skips several beats with the sound and he forgets how to breathe. Lovino gives a string of Italian that Antonio can't quite make out over the phone but it still brings tears to his eyes. He heads for the elevator at a brisk pace.

"_Dios_," Antonio whispers. "Oh, Lovi."

"Toni, please hurry," Prussia says. "He's terrified. He won't let anyone other than Feli touch him."

"I'm on my way, Gilbert," Antonio says. "Tell him I'm coming. Take care of him until I get there."

"Alright. See you soon, Toni."

Antonio slips the phone back into his pocket and mashes the down button on the elevator several times. Finally the machine dings and the doors open, Antonio rushing into the (thankfully empty) elevator before the doors have opened fully and slamming the 'door close' button with entirely too much force before punching the button for the ground floor. He keeps his eyes on the numbers above the door, drumming his fingers against the bar behind him, all the while trying to shake the sound of Lovi's scream from his mind. When the doors open again on the ground floor, Antonio sprints out, ignoring the strange and startled looks he receives from others in the building. A security guard shouts for him to stop running, but he cares not. His trembling fingers fumble with the car keys as he tries to unlock his door, but he manages to get in. He pulls away, driving at nearly ludicrous speeds and ignoring the angry honks he elicits from the other drivers.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Yay, another chapter down. I wasn't originally going to include this chapter, but I had it written so I decided to throw it in.

**Spanish Translations:**

_Mierda_: Shit.

_Dios_: God.


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, this chapter gets back to Lovi. This chapter is also pretty long. There should be about 3 more chapters after this.

Sorry if anyone who's already read this chapter thought it was a new one. I forgot to put in the translations so I had to re-upload the chapter . Sorry, guys!

And I'm really sorry about the abrupt endings for each chapter. This was originally a one shot, so I'm just kind of finding semi-convenient placed to break it up because it got really long and I decided it needed to be more than one chapter.

Enjoy, my lovelies (:

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

After a few excruciatingly long moments, Antonio's car rounds the corner at near ridiculous speed, pulling up to the house, half in the driveway and half in the lawn. The Spaniard leaps from the car and rushes forward, kneeling next to Lovino. Antonio takes one look at his love's breathless form, the wound on his forehead and the gash in his arm, and his blood turns cold for a moment. He cups Lovi's cheek softly, but Lovi does not lift his head.

"Oh, _mi tomate_," he whispers, brushing a few strands of auburn hair from Lovino's face gently. "Lovi, please look at me."

The Italian looks up, a few more tears making their way down his face.

"Toni," he gasps. "_Spagna, aiutatemi, per favore. Non riesco a respirare, fa male_."

Lovino's voice is feeble in his breathless state, but the panicked desperation it holds rings through clear enough to bring tears to Antonio's eyes instantly.

"It's alright, Roma," Antonio says quietly. "Don't be scared. You're perfectly safe now, no one here is going to hurt you. I'm going to pick you up now, alright?"

Lovino hesitates, but nods. Antonio smiles sadly, taking Lovino in his arms and Lovino cringes slightly but Antonio holds him close, protectively, and carrying him into the house. Matthew opens the door for them and Lovino clings to Antonio weakly, gasping.

"_Ho paura,_ _Toni_, _tutto fa male_."

"Don't be scared, _mi tomate_. We're going to help you. Just breathe, all right? I know it hurts, but I need you to breathe as deep as you can, okay?"

Lovino nods, forcing deep breaths as Antonio enters the house, closely followed by the others. He lowers Lovino gingerly to the couch and turns to face Feliciano, and Lovino latches onto his sleeve.

"_Non mi lasci_," Romano beseeches. "_Rimani con me, per favore_."

Antonio sits down next to his love, wrapping his arms around him gently. "I'm not going anywhere, Roma," he assures him. "I'm not leaving you." Lovino clutches at his shirt, and he strokes Lovino's back soothingly, rhythmically, and Lovino times his breaths with it. "Feli," Antonio says, looking up. "The first aid kit is under the sink in the kitchen. Can you get it for me, please?" Italy nods and leaves the room, and Antonio turns his attention back to Lovino. He pulls away slightly to get a better look at him, and Lovino panics, gripping his hand tightly.

"Calm down, Lovi," Antonio says gently. "I'm not leaving you. Now, can you tell me what hurts?"

"_Respirazione_," Lovino says weakly. "_Fa male quando respiro."_

"I know," Antonio says sympathetically. "What else, love?"

"_Mia testa_," Lovino adds, still panting heavily. "_E mia schiena_."

Antonio nods. "Is that all, Lovi?" he asks, and Lovino nods.

"What did he say?" Prussia asks, kneeling next to Spain.

"He says his head and his back hurt and it hurts to breathe," Antonio tells him. "He's so scared," he adds in a desperate whisper. "It's been years since I've seen him this scared."

"It has been a while," Feliciano says, reentering the room and handing the first aid kit to Antonio, who accepts it with a nod of thanks before turning his attention back to Lovino.

"Will you let us help you now, _mi tomate_?" he asks gently, and Lovino nods mutely, his grip on Antonio's hand tightening when Gilbert steps forward, damp cloth in hand.

"Don't be scared, Lovi," Gilbert says gently. "I won't hurt you, I promise."

Lovino nods and Gilbert gives him a soft smile before beginning to dab carefully at the wound in Lovino's head.

"It isn't deep at all," he assures Antonio. "Head wounds usually bleed more than a wound the same size anywhere else would. But this one's already closing; it will heal just fine."

Antonio nods as Gilbert finishes cleaning the cut. "Do you need his shirt off?" the Spaniard asks, and Gilbert simply nods. Antonio motions for Feliciano to come over to them, and the younger Italian obliges. A whimper of panic escapes Lovino's throat when Antonio lets go of his hand, and Antonio's heart nearly breaks with the sound. Feliciano and Antonio carefully remove Lovino's shirt, a few more tears escaping Lovino's eyes when they slowly move his arms out of the sleeves.

"He's handling this really well," Germany notes, and Prussia nods in earnest agreement before beginning to clean the scrapes marring the Italian's chest and back.

"This will sting," he warns, and Lovino nods, wincing only slightly with each dab of the cloth. When Gilbert begins wrapping the bandages around Lovino's battered chest, however, his face pales even more and he is entirely too still.

"Lovi," Antonio says softly. "Please, breathe. I know it hurts, _mi corazon_," he adds sympathetically as Lovino draws a deep, shuddering breath, exhaling with a dry sob. "I know it hurts. But you need to breathe. You're alright, Lovi. You're safe. None of us is going to hurt you, _mi querido_, just trust us, alright? It's okay. Breathe, Lovi."

"Toni," Lovino whimpers, closing his eyes tight against the pain.

"Shhhh," Antonio whispers, ignoring Lovino's painfully tight grip on his hand, placing his free hand at the base of Lovino's neck, massaging gently as Gilbert continues to bandage the Italian's damaged chest. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe, _mi amor_."

Lovino nods briefly as Gilbert finishes, moving next to clean the cut in Lovino's arm. Lovino relaxes slightly, leaning back against Antonio's chest. Antonio smiles slightly with relief, rubbing Lovino's uninjured arm soothingly and placing a gentle kiss on the top of his lover's head. Lovino relaxes farther as Gilbert finishes bandaging his arm.

"Stay with us, Lovi," Matthew says softly. "I need you to stay awake for a while."

"I'm so tired," Lovino mumbles, and Antonio's heart soars upon hearing the English words. He smiles brightly as he assists Lovino in putting his shirt back on. "And my head hurts."

"I know," Matthew says sympathetically. "You've probably got a concussion, and I need you to stay awake. Okay?"

Lovino nods, snuggling against Antonio's chest. Antonio wraps his arms gently around Lovino. Sensing that the two want to be alone, Feliciano places a gentle kiss on Lovino's forehead before leaving the room, closely followed by Ludwig. Matthew stops at the swinging door to the kitchen, turning to wait for Gilbert.

"Mattie's right, Toni," Gilbert says softly. "Make sure Lovi stays awake, okay? He probably has a concussion. His chest is _really_ beat up, and he may have some cracked ribs. He'll be sore for a while, but he'll be fine."

Antonio nods with a smile before Gilbert turns, taking Matthew's hand as the two of them go into the kitchen.

As soon as the kitchen door swings shut, Lovino turns, burying his face in Antonio's chest, his breath hitching with tears.

"It's alright, _mi tomate_," Antonio says gently. "You're okay."

"I'm fine, bastard," Lovino mutters, and Antonio can't help but smile at the usual insult. There are a few minutes of silence, and just as Antonio begins to wonder if Lovino is drifting off, the Italian speaks again. "I'm sorry," he says quietly, turning his face farther into Antonio's chest.

"For what?" Antonio asks incredulously, staring down at the smaller man in his arms.

Lovino hesitates, drawing a deep breath and wincing slightly, but relishing the sweet scent of wheat and tomatoes, an aroma that seems to stick to Spain like glue. "For freaking out," he mutters into the fabric of Antonio's shirt. "For being a fucking pansy."

"Lovi," Antonio says, pulling away slightly so he can look Lovino in the eyes. Those lovely golden orbs are shining with tears and hold worlds of remorse, contrition, and self-deprecation. "Lovino, _mi amor_, how can you possibly think so little of yourself? You're hurt, _mi querido_, of _course_ you'd be frightened, that's perfectly normal. There is _nothing_ weak about that. You're _not_ weak. Do you have any _idea_ how much I _hate_ it when you use that word about yourself?"

"But I _am_," Lovino protests, voice thick with tears. "I _am_, Toni. That's why I can't handle having your friends here when you're not, that's why I don't have any idea how to talk to people, that's why I can't _stand_ being in this house without you, that's why I insult the people I care about. Toni, why don't you hate me? I don't understand!"

Antonio stares for a moment, confused and heartbroken. "Lovino," he says finally, his voice strained by the lump forming in his throat. "I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth again. I could never, _never_ hate you. Never. I love you, and every flaw you possess. You are the most incredible, adorable, perfectly imperfect individual I have ever had the pleasure of knowing."

"I made you leave your meeting," Lovino says, the pain in his eyes so real, so unbearable that Antonio fights an urge to look away. "Now you'll be in trouble with your boss and it's my fault."

"Do you really think I care about that?" Antonio asks, fighting to keep his voice even. "Yes, I'm Spain, but I'm also _Antonio_. Sure, I'm a country. But I'm a _person_ first. A person who _loves you_ with _every fiber _of my_ being_ and who would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. And I would much rather skip out on a meeting and make it up later to make sure you're okay than come home and find out that you're hurt. Lovino, when did you start thinking so little of yourself? Who was it that convinced you of all these things? Just tell me who, I'll get Francis and Gilbert and the three of us will make sure he pays. You're better than this, Lovi. You're my Lovi, my adorable, sweet but spicy little Romano, and you are _wonderful_."

Lovino wraps his arms around his love, a round of sobs and shallow gasps racking his frame. He clutches desperately at the back of Antonio's shirt, terrified, as though losing contact with the man would cause him to disappear.

"Shhh," Antonio whispers, rubbing Lovino's back soothingly. "Shh, Lovi, it's alright."

"I love you," Lovino says between sobs. "I love you, Toni."

Antonio smiles sadly. "I love you too, Lovi," he says softly. "More than anything else in this world, _mi tomate_."

"I don't like being here without you," Lovino tells him, his voice still broken up with sobs and muffled, and Antonio strains to hear him, refuses not to hear the words Lovino can only bring himself to whisper into Antonio's chest. "I get nervous when I'm here without you f-for a long time. But I'm n-not mad at you for it, I know you c-can't help it sometimes. But th-that's part of why I left earlier, I-I don't like being in this house when you're not here. But I'm not mad. I love you, and I don't t-tell you that enough. I love you, Toni. I love you, it's only because of you that I _can_ love."

"Shhh," Antonio says again, still more gently this time. "I love you too, Lovi. I'm here now, and I'm not leaving. I've got you, you're safe. I love you, _mi tomate_."

For nearly an hour they sit entwined like this, Lovino crying into Antonio's chest, letting lose the anxieties he tries so hard to lock away. Antonio holds him gently until finally he falls still again, forcing a deep breath and still hiccupping with tears.

"Crying hurts," Lovino mutters, and Antonio smiles sadly.

"All the more reason not to do it," he says softly before placing another loving kiss on the top of Lovino's head. There is a brief silence before Antonio speaks again. "It's been a while since I've seen you so scared you forgot how to speak English," he comments, and he doesn't need to look to know that Lovino is blushing, but he can't resist the temptation. "Since the fire at Francis's party a few years ago, when you realized Feliciano was still inside."

"I thought we agreed not to talk about that," Lovino snaps, albeit softly.

"Since he wasn't the only one who was scared," Matthew chimes in from the doorway. "Gil told me about that. He said Ludwig was terrified."

"Potato-bastard really proved himself that night," Lovino admits. "Anyone who is willing to reenter a burning building to save my brother is okay by me. I never would have thought that Feli meant as much to him as he does to Feli, but he definitely proved me wrong."

"Of course, you'd never tell _him_ that," Antonio points out.

"I think he knows," Lovino says.

Matthew smiles. "How are you feeling?" he asks, sitting next to the two on the couch.

"Better," Lovino says. "Still hurts like hell, but it's not as bad."

"Good," Matthew says, his smile widening. "Just making sure you're okay."

"Question," Lovino says, after a brief pause. "How did you know where my phone was earlier? When you told Gilbert to go get it."

Matthew hesitates before saying, "It lit up when Gil and I sat down earlier. You had a text. And I was pretty sure your phone was the one with the picture of you and Antonio in the background. Sorry, I didn't mean to see it."

"It's fine," Lovino assures him.

"Your background is a picture of us?" Antonio asks with a surprised smile.

Lovino nods. "From me and Feliciano's birthday last year," he says. "Who was the text from, did you see?"

Matthew shakes his head, but Antonio speaks up.

"It was from me," he says. "Apologizing again for being late."

"Bastard," Lovino murmurs, and Antonio smiles.

There is a brief silence, broken only by a knock at the door. Matthew rises to open it, revealing Francis and Arthur.

"You're late," Antonio comments as they enter.

"'Tonio," Francis begins, "I always knew you weren't the best driver, but you usually park much better than -_Mon Dieu_," he says abruptly upon noticing Lovino's bruised and bandaged body. "It appears we've missed something."

Lovino smirks. "Maybe you should've tried harder to be on time."

"Lovi had a little mishap," Antonio tells them.

"We can see that," England says. "What happened?"

"He got hit by a car," Matthew reports sadly.

"Silly Lovi," Francis teases. "I'm sure even my dear, absent-minded 'Tonio taught you to look both ways before crossing the street."

"Shut it, Frenchy," Lovi snaps, attempting to rise. He stops when a spasm of pain shoots through his ribs, causing him to fall back against Antonio, who gasps in concern before shooting Francis a menacing glare. The Frenchman gulps, his eyes widening in fear, and Spain smiles smugly before returning his attention to Lovino.

"Are you alright, Lovi?" he asks kindly, and Lovino nods.

"I'm fine," he assures him, just a tad short of breath. "Just moved too fast. I'm alright."

"Good."

"It's getting late," Lovino says suddenly, glancing up at the clock. "And I never did make dinner."

"I can go make something," Antonio offers. "Paella or something."

"We don't have all the stuff for paella," Lovino says bitterly. "That's why I was out there, I was going to the store. Besides, you're staying right here, bastard."

Lovino's breath hitches again on the last phrase, and he clutches, almost painfully, at Antonio's arm. Antonio's brow furrows in concern, and he wraps his arms more securely around Lovino.

"Shhh," he says gently. "No need to get worked up again." Lovino nods, relaxing again, and Antonio looks up at Matthew. "Matthew, can you bring Feliciano in, please?"

Canada nods and stands, heading for the kitchen, but pauses with his hand on the door.

"I'm sorry about earlier, Lovi," he says suddenly. "If Gilbert creeped you out."

"Gilbert started without me?" Francis says incredulously, and Lovino laughs, wincing only slightly.

"Again, Frenchy, you should try harder to get here on time."

"What did he do?" Antonio demands, and Lovino's smile widens.

"It's fine, Toni," he says. "It's not a party until Gilbert and Francis creep me out a little. But thanks for calling him off, Mattie."

Matthew smiles, then turns and enters the kitchen. Moments later, Feliciano emerges, looking curious, the others coming in behind him.

"Yes, Toni?" he says.

"Do me a favor and make a nice big batch of spaghetti," Antonio tells him, and Feliciano smiles brightly. "I know we have all the ingredients for that."

"Will do," Feliciano says cheerily before returning to the kitchen.

"You gave him permission to make pasta," Lovino mutters sleepily and with a half-hearted scowl, snuggling closer to Antonio's chest. "You just made his day."

Antonio smiles brightly as Lovino relaxes farther in his arms.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

Yay, Toni finally showed up!

2 or 3 more chapters left. Thanks for reading, lovelies! :)

Italian Translations (that I forgot the first time. I'm so sorry!)

_Spagna, aiutatemi, per favore. Non riesco a respirare, fa male:_ Spain, help me, please. I can't breathe, it hurts.

_Ho paura,_ _Toni_, _tutto fa male:_ I'm scared, Toni, everything hurts_._

___Non mi lasci_. _Rimani con me, per_ favore: Don't leave me. Stay with me, please.

_Respirazione_. _Fa male quando_ respiro: Breathing. It hurts when I breathe.

_Mia testa. __E mia schiena_: My head. And my back


	5. Chapter 5

Whoa, super late update. Sorry guys. I just started college two weeks ago (Longwood University, performance theatre) and the last month or so has been hectic, between getting ready to move in and actually moving in and getting finances settled and whatnot. But I got cast in my first college show (: I'm playing Girl 3 and Young Girl in Lorca's _Blood Wedding_. Not a huge role, but I'm only a freshman so I will more than gladly take it.

Anyway, on with the story.

I don't own Hetalia.

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

"So why were you two late?" Antonio asks Francis, wrapping his arms around Lovino's torso, content.

There is a brief hesitation.

"We lost track of time," Francis says, and Arthur blushes madly.

"Called it," Gilbert says with a smirk from the doorway, snaking an arm around Matthew's waist; Matthew stiffens and squeaks in surprise.

"What was that, Birdie?" Gilbert says, a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he turns to face Matthew, who gasps and fights not to giggle as Gilbert tickles him mercilessly.

"Gilbert," Francis says with mock reproach. "Don't touch my son like that."

"Don't remind me that you're his dad," Gilbert gripes. "You know what happened the last time we remembered that you're his dad? He left the room. In the middle of sex. Because my phone rang and it was you."

"And you _answered _it!" Matthew says, his face going scarlet. "Who answers the phone during sex? Especially when it's the other person's parent?"

"Like I said, I try not to think of him as your dad," Gilbert tells him. "Because it's really awkward to have a drink with him while thinking 'hey, I boned your son last night'."

Matthew's blush deepens and he looks away, his eyes landing on Lovino, whose face has gone decidedly paler than usual. His eyes are wide and panicked, staring straight ahead at nothing.

"Lovi, are you okay?" he asks.

"Don't change the subject, Birdie," Gilbert says.

"No, seriously," Matthew protests. "Something's wrong."

Antonio looks down at the man in his arms when Lovino goes rigid, his entire frame trembling.

"Lovi?" Spain said softly. The little Italian does not respond, and Antonio can feel the tenseness building in his love's muscles. Lovino stammers helplessly, clutching at Antonio's arm. "Lovi, what's wrong?"

"He's having some kind of seizure," Matthew says, coming forward.

"What do I do?" Antonio asks desperately.

"There's not much we can do," Matthew tells him sadly. "I can call the agency and see how fast they can send a doctor who knows about the countries, but until then all we can really do is wait it out. It should only last a few minutes."

Tears spring to Antonio's eyes as Lovino stops stuttering, his wildly shaking hands clutching so hard at Antonio's arm he breaks the skin, his eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"I know, _mi tomate_," Antonio coos, running a hand lovingly through Lovino's hair. "Shhh, you're safe. Matt, please call."

Matthew nods and heads into the kitchen. Lovino's arms and legs begin to twitch. Gilbert steps toward Antonio and gently pulls the Spaniard's arms away from Lovino, earning a pleading look in those brilliant green eyes.

"I know, Toni," Gilbert says sadly. "Just trust me, please."

Antonio hesitates, but allows Gilbert to take Lovino from his arms. Gilbert lowers the Italian gently to the floor, on his side, placing a pillow from the couch under his head. The convulsions are picking up intensity and Antonio watches with anxious eyes as Gilbert very gently undoes the top two buttons of Lovino's shirt. Antonio lowers himself to the floor in front of Lovino.

"Don't touch him," Gilbert warns softly, and tears spring to Antonio's eyes with the uselessness consuming him. "Talk to him," Gilbert urges. "I can't guarantee he can hear you, but there's no harm in trying."

Antonio nods. "Lovi," he says, his voice shaking. He clears his throat and tries again, knowing his anxiety will only worsen the situation. "Lovi, it's alright. This will be over in a few minutes, love. Matthew's getting a doctor so we can find out what's wrong. You're going to be fine, Lovi. It's okay."

For several minutes the convulsions continue, and the tears spill over the rims of Antonio's eyes and a tight lump in his throat strains his voice as he continues his gentle reassurances. The others have appeared in the doorway, minus Matthew who is still on the phone, and they watch the spectacle sadly, anxiously until finally, _finally_, Lovino begins to fall still again. Feliciano kneels on Lovi's other side as the convulsions slow to twitches, which in turn slow to a mild trembling. Lovino sits up and blinks a few times, his eyes shifting from glazed over and far away to panicked and confused. He looks around the room almost frantically.

"Sp-Spanga?" he stammers, and Antonio places a hand on his shoulder gently.

"I'm right here, Lovi," he says softly, and Lovino throws himself into the Spaniard's arms. "It's alright," Antonio assures him, hugging him tightly to his chest. "You're safe."

"Thank you," Lovino whispers. "I could hear you. Thank you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Antonio holds the still mildly trembling Lovino against his chest as Matthew reenters the room, a look of relief crossing his features at the sight before him.

"How long did it take the seizure to break?" he asks Gilbert.

"A little over six minutes," Gilbert says. "What did the agency say?"

Matthew sighs. "They'll have a doctor here by tomorrow morning. Until then we're on our own."

"I don't like that answer," Antonio comments, and Matthew smiles sadly.

"Neither do I, but it's the best we've got."

Antonio sighs. "Are you alright, _mi tomate_?" he asks, and Lovino nods mutely against his chest.

"The spaghetti's almost ready," Feliciano chimes in an attempt to raise his brother's spirits; it does little. There are tears in his eyes as he buries his face in Antonio's chest, and his breath hitches yet again.

"Lovi," Antonio says warmly. "It's okay, _mi querido_."

"Everything hurts," Lovi mumbles.

"I know, Lovi."

"Take him upstairs," Gilbert suggests gently. "Let him sleep for a while, he's probably exhausted."

Antonio sighs and gets to his feet, taking Lovino in his arms again and carrying him easily up the stairs to their bedroom. He places Lovino gingerly on the bed before closing the door and sitting next to him.

"What's wrong, Lovi?" Antonio asks softly.

"I'm fine, Toni."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk," Lovi says quickly, his eyes snapping shut in frustration. "Everyone's worried and it's stressing me out and I can't think straight and my head hurts and I'm still shaking and I'm tired and I just want to sleep."

"Okay," Antonio says, kissing Lovino's forehead lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's fine. I know, you guys are just trying to help me, but I'm having a hard time dealing with everyone being upset."

"We're worried about you, Lovi," Antonio reminds him. "None of us want to see you hurt."

Lovino shifts uncomfortably, looking away from Antonio.

"Lovi? Look at me please."

No response.

"Please?"

Lovino turns his head farther, and Antonio sighs sadly, taking Lovi's face in his hands. Lovino opens his eyes, a few more tears running down his cheeks.

"I love you," Antonio assures him. "More than anything in this world, Lovi. Please stop belittling yourself."

Lovino sniffles quietly and nods, and Antonio smiles softly.

The two fall silent, and Antonio moves to carefully remove Lovi's shoes before placing the blanket over him. When he sits back down on the bed, Lovino takes one of Antonio's hands in his own.

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?" Lovino asks, and Antonio smiles.

"Of course I will, _mi querido_."

Lovino smiles wearily, and Antonio runs his fingers gently through his lover's auburn hair.

"_Dame una tiempo nuevo, dame oscuridad, dame tu poesía a medio terminar. Dame día a día, dame tu calor. Dame un beso ahora en el callejón. Dame una sonrisa, dame seriedad. Dame si es posible la posibilidad de llevarte a la cima del cielo, donde existe un silencio total, donde el viento te rosa la cara y yo rozo tu cuerpo al final y llevarte a la cima del cielo, donde el cuento no pueda acabar, donde emerge sublime el deseo y la gloria se puede alcanzar."_

By the end of the song, Lovino's eyes have drifted closed. Antonio remains seated next to him for a while, and then places another gentle kiss on Lovino's forehead before getting to his feet and heading back down the stairs. Francis rises to meet him at the foot of the stairs.

"How is he?" Francis asks.

"Asleep," Antonio tells him.

"Good. Come have some food, it's delicious."

"I'm not hungry."

"Tonio," Francis says softly. "I know you're upset. But there's nothing you can do, _mon ami_."

"That's why I'm upset," Antonio snaps, and the others jump. Gilbert steps forward, leaning against the doorway to the living room, but says nothing. "_Because_ there's nothing I can do. Because he's sad and scared and in pain and I can't do anything to help him, and none of this would have happened if I had been home on time."

"Tonio, this isn't your fault."

Antonio shakes his head, but Gilbert steps in before the Spaniard can speak.

"Antonio," he says. "In all honesty, it makes sense that you blame yourself. But it really is not your fault. You can't help it that you were late coming home. I'm not going to ask you not to blame yourself, because I know you can't help it at this point, but please, try to forgive yourself. Lovi is going to be fine. Maybe not right away, but in time. It's going to be fine."

"I know that," Antonio says quietly. "I know that, eventually, it will be okay. But that doesn't make it any less awful now."

"You're right," Gilbert says. "It doesn't help any now. And that sucks. But there's nothing you can do right now to make it any less awful. But starving yourself definitely will not help. Stop," he says when Antonio opens his mouth to protest. "Lovi told me you didn't eat breakfast this morning, and I know you don't eat at the office, so go eat something."

Antonio's mouth hangs open for another moment but he closes it, admitting that Gilbert is right, and he heads into the kitchen, followed by Francis. Gilbert sighs and returns to the living room, taking his seat beside Matthew, one arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Honestly," he says, rolling his eyes. "I love Toni to death, but he's so…"

"Spanish?" Arthur suggests, and Gilbert nods.

"Ah, Spain," he sighs. "Country of passion."

_**XxXxXxXxXxX**_

As my theatre professor explained to us last week, "passion" does not mean "love." Passion can be applied to a range of emotions. Things one is passionate about are the things one is willing to fight and die for. The word passion is overused. But anyway.

The song Toni sings to Lovi is _La Cima Del Cielo _by Ricardo Montaner, and it is beautiful. Here's a translation (and I actually speak Spanish, so this should be right):

_Give me a new time, give me darkness, give me your half-written poetry. Give me day by day, give me your heat. Kiss me now in the alley. Give me a smile, give me seriousness. If possible, give me the possibility to take you to the top of the sky, where there exists total quiet, where the wind turns your face pink and I brush against your body in the end and take you to the top of the sky, where the story cannot end, where sublime desire emerges, and glory can be achieved._

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I doubt it, though; this chapter isn't great. But whatevs.


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